Container



F. R. PULLIAM Feb. 6, 1962 CONTAINER Filed May 5, 1961 INVENTOR.

FLOYD R.PULLIAM ATTORNEYS States Floyd R.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a flexible bag which is adjustable as to volume.

It has been the practice of certain industries, such as the meat industry, to use various size plastic film envelopes for packaging small quantities of product in a man ner suitable for immediate, retail display and sale. This practice has entailed stocking of many different film sizes because of variation in volume and quantity of meat products to be packaged.

Also, some industries, and some retailing practices, have attempted to package products for consumer purchase in a container which is re-usable to provide an inducement for selection of a particular product over competing lines of similar quality and price.

However, in packaging prepared meat products, such as wiencrs and sausages as well as other foodstuffs, wherein the profit margin is normally in pennies or fractions thereof, net profit being based on large-volume sales, slight increase in costs of packaging prevents a competi tive price structure; and previous re-usable containers frequently increased costs of packaging to an extent that the product was no longer competitive price-wise. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved container.

Another object is to provide a flexible bag which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Still another object is to provide a flexible plastic envelope for packaging such as foodstufls'which is adjusta' ble as to volume.

A further object is to provide a flexible, reusable plastic envelope which is adjustable as .to volume; which. is sturdy in construction; and which resists deterioration in extended use.

In carrying out the objects of the invention, in one embodiment, a container constructed according to the invention is a flexible, plastic envelope having an open top and a closed bottom. Attached along the length of a wall of the envelope, extending substantially from the envelope bottom to the open top, is a-fiexible keyway or rail. A rider assembly is mounted on the keyway and arranged for lengthwise movement thereover. A cinching assembly is attached to the riderand arranged to selectively close the envelope while locking the rider at a given position on the key strip, thereby preventing further movement thereof.

Other objects and features of a container constructed according to my concepts will be apparent in the following detailed description with reference to the drawing in which like reference numerals are used to designate like parts in the several views.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a flexible, reusable plastic container constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is the arrangement of FIG. 1 in a closed configuration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the rider and cinch assembly used on the container of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the key strip of FIG. 1 and its relation to a container wail;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation in partial section of the rider of FIG. 3 in a locked position on the keyway of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an alternative rider construction; and

FiG. 7 is an alternative key strip and alternative rider construction, usable in constructing a container according to the invention.

3,919,951 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 A flexible envelope or bag 10 is shown in FIG. 1, having a closed bottom 11 and an open top 12. Attached along one wall of the bag 10, extending between the closed bottom 11 and the open top 12, is a keyway or rail 13. Mounted on the keyway 13 and arranged for lengthwise movement thereon, up and down the bag 10, is a rider 14 and cinch 15. The cinch is fabricated of a flexible, non-elastic cord-like material. The cinch 15 is arranged to be looped around the open portion or neck of the container to thereby close it as in the configuration of FIG. 2, while at the same time locking the rider in position on the keyway against movement as described below.

The rider 14 is a generally elliptical-shaped plate, having a slot formed through the lower edge thereof perpendicular to the flat faces of the rider. The slot 20 has a restricted bottom opening or mouth 20a for engagement over the keyway 13. The upper peripheral edge of the rider 14 is grooved or slotted, one slot 21 being parallel to the faces of the rider 14, while a second slot 22 is perpendicular to slot 21 and the faces of the rider. The cinch 15 is of sufiicient diameter as to releasably pass within the slots 21 and 22 and yet be frictionally engaged thereby.

In my preferred arrangement the keyway 13, which is arranged to be encompassed by the slot 26, is a flexible solid plastic rod which is easily included between the overlapping edges of the bag when it is constructed. FiG. 4 illustrates this wherein a wall of bag 10 is shown formed with overlapping longitudinal edge portions 25 and 26 which encompass the rod forming keyway 13 in a sealed, immovable relationship within a wall of the bag. This prevents relative movement between the bag and keyway 13.

In cinching or-closing a container constructed according to the invention, the rider 14 is moved on the keyway 13 until it is slightly above the volume occupied by material within the bag. One end 15a of cinch 15 is frictionally engaged in the rider by leading it through one side of the slot 21, forwardly through slot 22 and being pressed into place. The other end 15b is moved about the neck or open end of the bag in and pulled taut, thereby closing the open end of the bag. End 15b is then positioned within the other side of slot 21 and pulled down above the end 15a in slot 22. The ends of the cinch are then frictionally engaged against movement from the rider 14.

Furthermore, in cinching or pulling the cinch 15 abou the bag, neck and attaching it as above described, and

since the rider is preferably fabricated of a somewhat resilient plastic material, a closing of the restricted opening or mouth 20a occurs which causes the rider to grip the keyway 13 in an immovable relationship. In FIG.

5 the arrows 30 indicate the closing movement of they mouth 20a by which the keyway 13 is gripped.

FIG. 6 is an alternative rider arrangement in which a ing of mouth 31a to frictionally grip a keyway and prevent relative movement of the rider thereover.

The arrangement of FIG. 7 shows another key strip or keyway design and a different rider and cinch assembly. A flexible strip 40 is arranged to be adhesively joined to a bag wall 41 along the longitudinal extent thereof similar to the positioning of keyway 13 above discussed. Centrally of the upper surface of strip 40 is a raised protuberance 42 generally of circular cross-section which is adapted to be engagedby the downwardly opening slot 43 formed through the lower portion of the ellipsoid or oval rider 44. The slot 43, similar to the slot above discussed with reference to the rider of FIGS. and 6, has a restricted bottom opening or mouth 43a. Attached to one side of rider 44 is a cinch 45 which is comprised of an elongated elastic strip attached at one end to the body of the rider and having a hooklike member 46 at the free end thereof. The hook member 46 is adapted to be wound about the open end or neck of a bag and attached to the opposite side of the rider 44 in the aperture 47 formed therein. When the cinch 45 is attached thusly, it tends to close the mouth 43a to grip the keyway protuberance similar to the cooperation between the cinch members and mouths above discussed with reference to the other rider and cinch arrangements.

While this rider and cinch assembly is satisfactory, I prefer that disclosed in FIGS. 1 through 5 because of its simplicity of construction; but all of the riders are easily molded of plastic material and thus are all relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Preferably the bag is fabricated of a thin, yet strong plastic film which may be colored, opaque or transparent, as desired. The same bag is usable for many different purposes and quantities of material, depending upon user requirements. Once a given quantity of material has been placed within the bag and a given volume thereof is occupied, the rider is moved lengthwise of the keyway until such time as the rider is slightly above the material contained in the bag. A simple manipulation of the cinch member (in which it is wrapped about the neck or open end of the bag) releasably fixes in the rider on the keyway and closes the-container, sealing the material contained in the bag. The plastics preferred are air-impermeable ones whereby, when the cinch is wrapped around the closed end, a hermetic seal results for the contained material. I

It is of course to be understood that the representations of the attached drawings are but exemplary of constructions and arrangements Within my inventive concepts and that other designs or relationship of parts may be resorted to and still be within my concepts.

Having thus described the invention in detail and with sufiicient particularity as toenable those skilled in the ant to practice it, what I desire to have protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising an envelope having a closed bottom and open top, a keyway mountedalong one wall of the envelope, extending substantially from the closed bottom to the open top, a rider assembly mounted for movement on the keyway, a cinch assembly arranged to be-looped' about the closed end of said bag and attached to said rider whereby the open top of the envelope is closed.

2. A container comprising an envelope having a closed bottom and open top, a key-way mounted along one wall of the envelope, extending substantially from the closed bottom to the open top, a rider mounted for lengthwise movement on the keyway, a cinch assembly carried by the rider arranged to be looped about the closed end of said bag and attached to said rider to close the open top of the envelope, said rider and cinch assembly adapted to cooperate to lock the rider in position on said keyway when the envelope open top is closed.

3. The container of claim 2 in which the envelope is fabricated of a thin plastic film.

4. The container of claim 2 in which the keyway is mounted within a wall of said envelope.

5. A container comprising an envelope having a closed bottom and open top, a keyway mounted along one wall of the envelope, extending substantially from the closed bottom to the open top, a rider mounted for lengthwise movement on the keyway, a cinch assembly carried by the rider arranged to be looped about the closed end of said bag and fastened to said rider to close the open top of the envelope, the rider and cinch assembly adapted to cooperate to lock the rider on the keyway when the open top of the envelope is closed.

6. The container of claim 5 in which the cinch is a flexible non-elastic cord.

7. An adjustable, flexible, re-usable bag comprising a flexible envelope having an open top and a closed bottom, a keyway mounted along one Wall of the envelope and extending substantially from the bottom to the top thereof, a rider having a slot formed through a bottom portion thereof, said slot having a restricted mouth adapted to encompass said keyway and allow movement of the rider over the keyway, another portion of the rider adapted to releasably engage an end portion of a cinch, a cinch comprised of an elongated, flexible, non-elastic cord one end of which is releasably engaged by said rider, the other end of said cinch adapted to be looped about the neck of said envelope adjacent the open end thereof and also be engaged by said rider, the cinch and rider adapted to cooperate when in an envelope closing relation to lock the rider in position on said keyway.

8. The bag of claim 7 in which the rider has slots formed through an upper portion which are adapted to releasably engage the ends of the cinch.

9. The bag of claim 7" in which the rider is fabricated of a flexible plastic material such that its mouth restriction closes when the cinch is looped: about the bag neck in a closing action,- pulled tight, and both ends of the cinch releasably attached to-the rider.

10. A container comprising a bag-like body open at one end, a guide secured on an outer surface of said body and extending substantially throughout its length, a cinch assembly mounted for movement along said guide and carrying a cord-like member adapted to loop around the bag, and means in the cinch assembly for securing the extended end of the cord-like member after it is wrapped around the body to close its open end.

11. A container comprising a bag-like body fabricated of an air-impermeable plastic open at one end, a guide secured on an outer surface of said body and extending substantially throughout its length, a cinchassembly mounted for movement along said guide and carrying a cord-like member adapted to loop. around the bag, and

means in the cinch assembly for securing the extended end of the cord-like member after it is wrapped aroundv the body to close its open end in a hermetic seal at any selected position along said guide.

12. A container comprising a bag-like body open at one end, a guide secured on an outer surface of said body and extending a portion of its length, a cinch assembly mounted' for movement along said guide and carrying a cordlike member adapted to loop around the bag, andmeans' in the cinch assembly for securing the extended end of the cord-like member after it is wrapped around the body to close its open end.

No references cited. 

